The final patient infected with Ebola in Kenya has been discharged from hospital, clearing the way for a 42-day countdown to declare the country free of the virus.
The outbreak in Kenya began on October 3, when a businessman who had worked for years in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived in Nairobi. He died two days later. During the transit from the airport to the hospital, the man infected four family members. Four hospital staff members also contracted the virus before safety protocols were fully implemented.
While the man’s mother later died, the remaining patients have now recovered. On Wednesday, the final patient was released from Nairobi Hospital, and eleven individuals were cleared from quarantine, according to Reuters. This recovery marks the start of a mandatory observation period. Because the maximum incubation period for Ebola is 21 days, health authorities apply a 42-day window—double the incubation time—as the benchmark to declare the country Ebola-free.
If no further cases emerge, Kenya could reach that milestone on December 23. This timeline provides a reprieve for the nation’s tourism industry, which is currently preparing for the peak season around Christmas and New Year.
The Kenyan businessman may have been the source of infection for a Swiss diplomat’s wife at an airport in Uganda, where both were queuing for separate flights. The man had traveled through Uganda for three days after departing from the Congolese border. The woman, who had been on vacation in Uganda, fell ill upon arriving in Abuja, Nigeria.
Kenya marks a significant milestone in its Ebola Bundibugyo Virus response with the release of the last patient and the last batch of the 11 quarantined contact persons https://t.co/7rpsvGsnTq
Nigeria has not reported any new cases following that incident, and the woman has been evacuated to Switzerland for continued care. However, the situation in Uganda remains under investigation. If a direct link between the cases in Kenya and Uganda cannot be confirmed, it suggests there may be undetected transmission occurring within Uganda.
The crisis is far more severe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the rare “Bundibugyo” variant was first identified in May. On Tuesday, the total number of infections surpassed 11,000, with 5,400 confirmed deaths. The virus has now spread to eight distinct regions, leading humanitarian organizations to warn that this could become the largest Ebola outbreak in history.
| Region/Country | Status/Observation | Key Date |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Arrival of the first infected businessman | October 3, 2026 |
| Kenya | Projected Ebola-free date | December 23, 2026 |
| DR Congo | Total infections reported | 11,042 |
| DR Congo | Total fatalities reported | 5,387 |
Aid organizations have warned that the security situation in the area complicates the response.
For now, the successful discharge of the final patient in Nairobi is a vital step toward localized recovery.
